DIY & CRAFTS

Christmas Craft:
Mini Christmas Cardboard Houses

Make your own DIY Christmas village from cardboard.

Mini Cardboard Christmas Houses

When I was little I remember being in awe of a friend’s mantle overflowing with Christmas putz houses all sparkly and lit up. It was a sight to behold and if Pinterest had existed then, a photo of that mantle would have been pinned over and over with the caption #christmasdecorgoals. Lately I’ve been seeing a resurgence of these mini Christmas themed houses popping up and remembering the fondness I had for them, I made my own (but with a limit on the glitter so they’re more my style). Here’s how you can do the same:

SUPPLIES

  • Cardboard (I recycled one of the many boxes I’ve gotten in the mail lately)
  • Fabric of your choice
  • Mod Podge
  • Foam brush
  • Scissors
  • Craft Knife
  • Hot glue gun
  • Mini bottle brush trees and wreaths (optional)

STEP ONE

Create a template of a house and trace it onto the cardboard. You’ll need a matching front and a back, two matching sides, and a roof for each house. Use the scissors to cut out the cardboard pieces. For these roofs, I used a roll of corrugated cardboard since it’s thin and easy to fold. If you use normal cardboard, you’ll need to cut the roof piece into two equal pieces. For reference, these are the measurements of my houses:

MEASUREMENTS

    TALL HOUSE

  • Sides: 2.5″ wide x 3.5″ high
  • Front and back: 2.75″ wide x 3.5″ high, with a 2.5″ peak
  • Roof is 3.25”w, 5″ h
  • SMALL HOUSE

  • Sides: 2″ wide x 2.25″ high
  • Front and back: 2.5″ wide x 2.25″ high, with a 1.75″ peak
  • Roof: 2.5″ wide x 4″ high
  • MEDIUM HOUSE

  • Sides: 3″ wide x 2.6″ high
  • Front and back: 3″ wide x 2.6″ high, with a 2.25″ peak
  • Roof: 3″ wide x 5″ high

STEP TWO

Spread Mod Podge onto one side of the cardboard and adhere to fabric, making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles. Let dry.

STEP THREE

Use the scissors to cut fabric around each house, making sure to leave a thin edge that can be folded over.

STEP FOUR

Use the craft knife to cut out windows. Fold over the edges of the fabric and use Mod Podge to adhere to the backside of each cardboard piece. Let dry.

STEP FIVE

Use hot glue to connect the house together, putting the roof on last.

STEP SIX

Add little wreaths, trees, fabric doors, or added decorations as you see fit.

STEP SEVEN

Have fun with it! Mine aren’t perfect but I like the homemade charm.